Xfinity Speed Increase - Comcast just released its 2020 Network Performance Data report with statistics on how much Internet usage has increased during the pandemic, saying that upload usage is growing faster than download usage. "In 2020, peak downstream traffic increased 38 percent over 2019 levels, and peak traffic increased approximately 56 percent over 2019 levels," Comcast said.
But while Comcast's online top-up usage is growing rapidly, mostly driven by video conferencing among people who work and study at home, the nation's largest home Internet provider, with more than 30 million customers, advertises speed levels as if there will be no increase. Comcast's 56 percent increase in upstream traffic made me wonder if the company would increase download speeds soon, so I went to Comcast's Xfinity.com website to check current download speeds. Getting this information was harder than I expected.
Xfinity Speed Increase
Xfinity's website advertises cable internet plans with download speeds starting at 25 Mbps, failing to mention that upstream speeds are only a fraction of downstream. I went through Comcast's online ordering system today and can't find any mention of download speed anywhere. Even clicking on the "prices and other information" and "view plan details" links to read the fine print of various plans on the web reveals no download speed.
Comcast Boosts Internet Speeds
Even after adding a plan to cart and going through most of the checkout process, I couldn't find any mention of download speed. I got to the point where you had to enter your credit card information to proceed, so I stopped there first. I then confirmed that Comcast's ordering system will display the download speed after verifying that your credit card is valid on the last page where you submit your order.
I've known for a while that it's hard to find download speeds on Comcast's website, but I'm not sure when it became almost impossible. However, there were complaints about this issue on Comcast's customer service forums in 2020 and 2019. "What's my download speed now? I can't find any documents in the world," asked one customer. The answer was that existing customers can find their plan's top-up speed in their account settings after logging in and navigating to the correct section.
But that doesn't help people who sign up for the service and want to know what download speeds they'll get or compare the download speeds of different plans. Also Xfinity.com
Allows you to compare the details of different plans that do not show download speed. The lack of download speeds from Comcast's website is so profound that it's a deliberate attempt to keep customers in the dark. This gallery shows how the Comcast Xfinity website displays internet plans without mentioning download speeds and continues this tactic throughout the checkout process:
Comcast Increases Internet Speeds To Existing Customers
Fortunately, the third-party website CableTV.com lists upload and download speeds, showing that Comcast's 25Mbps download plan comes with a 3Mbps download; The 100Mbps and 200Mbps download plans both have 5Mbps downloads; 300Mbps download plan includes 10Mbps downloads; The 600Mbps plan includes 15Mbps downloads; and 1 Gbps download (1.2 Gbps in some areas) up to 35 Mbps:
Comcast's website lists download speeds of 35 Mbps for the gigabit plan on this page, but I couldn't find anything similar for Comcast's other cable Internet plans. Comcast also offers fiber-to-the-home service with speeds up to 2 Gbps both downstream and upstream. But Comcast's residential fiber requires installation costs of up to $500, and the service costs $300 a month, three times more than a gigabit cable plan with a 35 Mbps download.
How to find your download speed on the Comcast website before ordering internet service, and does Comcast have plans to increase cable download speeds?
Our network report shows that while upstream traffic increased in 2020, the patterns remain highly asymmetric, with downstream volumes being more than 14 times higher than upstream in 2020. Our website reflects the way customers use the internet, downstream usage is key, but upstream speeds are included. They may appear in your cart and when you submit your order.
Unable To Hit 1200mbps As A Single Udmpro Client On Xfinity 1200mbps Plan
Despite Comcast's claim that "higher speeds are included in your cart," I could find no evidence of this. Adding a Comcast Internet plan to my cart and then clicking the cart icon took me to an order page that didn't mention the download speed. I confirmed this behavior on Xfinity.com in both Chrome and Safari.
I went back to the Comcast spokesperson and asked what specific steps I needed to take to get the download speed to show up in my cart. It turns out that the download speeds will never appear in the cart unless you set the "cart" to include the entire ordering process. Comcast tells us that download speeds will eventually appear "when you review your order."
Although I didn't want to enter my credit card information for a service I didn't order, I finally did it to make sure it was accurate. I provided my address, phone number, and credit card information and clicked Next. It took a step through Comcast's system to see if I entered a valid credit card. I accidentally entered the number of a card that had just expired, so Comcast's system "declined" my card and logged me back in. After entering a card number that Comcast can charge, I finally landed on this page showing a 10Mbps download speed for a 300Mbps download plan:
On this page, after confirming your Comcast card, you can view your charge rates and decide to submit your order or exit the order system. The part of Comcast's statement that download speeds "appear after verification when submitting your order" is accurate. But refusing to tell a potential customer what they're paying until they send their credit card information is ridiculous. You can probably get an earlier download speed by contacting a Comcast representative in an online chat or phone call, but it's not necessary.
Comcast Xfinity Internet Customers Just Got A Free Speed Boost
Update: After digging through Comcast's list of customer agreements, policies, and notices, I found an outdated network management page that includes upload and download speeds. This appears to be the most recent list available on Comcast's website, but it was published on August 19, 2019, and the speeds listed do not match Comcast's current offerings.
Jon Brodkin Jon is Ars Technica's senior IT reporter covering the FCC and broadband, telecommunications, technology policy and more. Editors select and review products independently. If you purchase through affiliate links, you may earn commissions that help support our testing.
Comcast announced this week that it is increasing the speeds of most of its Xfinity Internet plans, which are expected to benefit more than 20 million subscribers.
The speed increase is significant even on Xfinity's cheaper plans, with expected changes broken down as follows:
Free Increased Speed?
These speed increases will be available to existing customers (Opens in a new window) as well as anyone who joins Xfinity and chooses one of these tiers.
Comcast aims to offer speeds of 2 Gbps by the end of 2025, and its customer base has expanded significantly over the past four years. "Since 2018, the number of connected devices in Xfinity homes has grown 12-fold, and the need for fast, reliable and secure Internet will continue to grow," said Bill Connors, president of Comcast Cable Xfinity.
While everyone on Performance Starter/Connect will appreciate the 50% speed boost, Comcast may soon be forced to bump it up another 25 Mbps. In July, FCC Chair Jessica Rosenworcel proposed raising the minimum broadband metrics to 100Mbps download and 25Mbps download.
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Xfinity Speed Test
I have been covering all areas of technology and video game news since November 2016. Before that, I worked as a writer and editor for Geek.com for nearly 15 years. I also spent the first six years out of college working as a professional game designer with Disney, Games Workshop, 20th Century Fox, and Vivendi.
I have two degrees: a bachelor's degree in computer science and a master's degree in game development. My first book, Create Your Own Pixel Art, is available in all good bookshops.
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